Joe's Reef Journey

[Joseph Lee]

The first prototype was too small and the closed bottom was not circulating aerated water. The pic below is the revised version with the completely open bottom.
The top cap is glued to prevent air leakage and a tiny hole is drilled. It is very quiet.

 

[Joseph Lee]

Got some beautiful and very large SPS frags/colonies from @jhuynh and @H2OPlayar !!

Water parameters in the picture. PO4 is on the high side but the corals look colorful and healthy. No3 is very high, waiting to get a good anaerobic bacteria population which takes a long time.

 

[H2OPlayar]

Nitrates don't look high to me!

 

[Srt4eric]

Nitrates don't look high to me!

You say that as the nitrates is hiding the bong...

 

[Darkxerox]

Tank is recovering fast!

 

[Joseph Lee]

Tank is recovering fast!

Thank you. Now I just need to seat back and watch them grow since there is not much space left to put more corals.

 

[Joseph Lee]

Since favia is an encrusting coral, I created this stackable 3d printed ball that can grow with the coral without being an eyesore.
The picture on the far right is showing the coral on the first layer. Hope I get a beautiful ball-shaped favia in a year.

 

[MolaMola]

Since favia is an encrusting coral, I created this stackable 3d printed ball that can grow with the coral without being an eyesore.
The picture on the far right is showing the coral on the first layer. Hope I get a beautiful ball-shaped favia in a year.

Are your layers connected or will you add a separate layer once the top one is grown over? A couple students asked if they could stack frag discs "like a fancy cake" with the base getting larger at the bottom of the stack, but most of our discs are thin. Interested to follow your progress!

 

[B the Nano Reefer]

Are your layers connected or will you add a separate layer once the top one is grown over? A couple students asked if they could stack frag discs "like a fancy cake" with the base getting larger at the bottom of the stack, but most of our discs are thin. Interested to follow your progress!

I have a cyphastrea that encrusted a 2” disk completely. Wanted to give it more space to grow so I’ve added a new 2” disk every month. I think we’re on the 5th disk. Kinda looks like a cake lol check back in a year and we’ll have the leaning tower of cyphastrea

@Joseph Lee love the idea of encouraging growth in a particular pattern

 

[Darkxerox]

I tried doing something similar with a sunset monti and a dead acro skeleton I got from the store. Didn't quite work as well as I wanted since it kinda filled in the gaps rather than just encrusting the branches. So your idea likely will work better!

 

[tankguy]

Im following your footsteps and set up a 40 breeder. LPS corals for this one. Nice to see your tank recovering

 

[Joseph Lee]

Im following your footsteps and set up a 40 breeder. LPS corals for this one. Nice to see your tank recovering

Hi Tankguy If you don't mind covering the back side of the tank, one or two Aquaclear 110 with a small heater and media will be easier to maintain (vs canister filter) .

 

[Joseph Lee]

Are your layers connected or will you add a separate layer once the top one is grown over? A couple students asked if they could stack frag discs "like a fancy cake" with the base getting larger at the bottom of the stack, but most of our discs are thin. Interested to follow your progress!

I will need to add a separate layer. : )

I have a cyphastrea that encrusted a 2” disk completely. Wanted to give it more space to grow so I’ve added a new 2” disk every month. I think we’re on the 5th disk. Kinda looks like a cake lol check back in a year and we’ll have the leaning tower of cyphastrea

@Joseph Lee love the idea of encouraging growth in a particular pattern

You can call it Pisa sometime next year!

I tried doing something similar with a sunset monti and a dead acro skeleton I got from the store. Didn't quite work as well as I wanted since it kinda filled in the gaps rather than just encrusting the branches. So your idea likely will work better!

Very cool idea. I think it could work with a staghorn acro skeleton.

 

[Joseph Lee]

Updates 10/31/22

The toadstool coral is so big today! I want to keep this one as long as I can but I don't know how much longer I can keep it.

Water parameters are looking good.
For phosphate, I have been dosing 0.02ppm daily for about 3 weeks (via top-off reservoir) and it looks like I need to add maybe 0.01ppm more (daily).
Happy to see that the NO3 level is decreasing, I guess I am starting to have a healthy population of anaerobic bacteria.

 

[Coral reefer]

I would warn against the huge toadstool with sps in the tank. Def run carbon if you keep it

 

[Kensington Reefer]

Toadstool is doing well
Keep it!

 

[Joseph Lee]

I have been busy with work and kids but testing PO4, NO3, ALK twice a week. So far so good.
Anyone interested in a large fresh cut toadstool? I am planning to cut the shaded area which will be at least 6" x 6".

The tank has been doing weel.

 

[Coral reefer]

I would run carbon after cutting if you can

 

[salty_taste]

I have been busy with work and kids but testing PO4, NO3, ALK twice a week. So far so good.
Anyone interested in a large fresh cut toadstool? I am planning to cut the shaded area which will be at least 6" x 6".
View attachment 43792

The tank has been doing weel.

That Toadstool is incredible! Quite the show piece you have..

 

[H2OPlayar]

Lmk if you need any carbon or a place to stash frags. That looks great and I would love one.